The Steeple Times

Tag: journalism

  • P**s Off Piers

    P**s Off Piers

    Piers Morgan withdraws from presenting an awards ceremony after an online campaign to oust him went viral; next he needs to leave Britain for good

     

    On Sunday, Piers Morgan, undoubtedly one of the most loathed men in Britain, took to social media to explain why he has opted to pull out of hosting the Royal Television Society Programme Awards after an online campaign to have him ousted went viral. Amongst those to have supported it were the spin doctor turned journalist Alastair Campbell, the actor Adrian Lester, OBE and the playwright and novelist Bonnie Greer, OBE.

     

    In the statement, Morgan – a man best known for publishing fake pictures of British soldiers abusing Iraqi prisoners in 2004 and for his feuds with everyone from Jeremy Clarkson to J. K. Rowling – remarked:

     

    I was recently invited to host the Royal Television Society Programme Awards.


    As someone who has worked in British and American television for most of this Millennium, on a variety of shows, I thought it might be fun and agreed to do it without any fee.


    After my role was announced, a campaign was started to have me banned.


    It suggested that I lack the ‘creative excellence’ criteria required for presenting such an event and therefore my presence would be ‘damaging’ and ‘inappropriate’.


    Further, I have ‘failed to understand a social movement that values equality and diversity of voice’.


    Apparently, this movement does not extend to tolerating my own diverse voice.


    I have no wish to serve as an unnecessary distraction from award winners whose hard work and skill should be celebrated without any of the silly noise this campaign has generated.


    So, I am now withdrawing from hosting the evening. Good luck to everyone who has been nominated.

     

    Morgan (who was born Piers O’Meara and whose full name is Piers Pughe-Morgan), for the first time in his life, has understood the public mood and reacted appropriately. Given how much he is hated in Britain and given his love for his friend Donald Trump, we urge him to continue on the path of sensible moves and emigrate. He should permanently move to America and he should never come back.

     

    #GetHimGone

     

    P**s Off Piers – Piers Morgan withdraws from presenting an awards ceremony after an online campaign to oust him went viral; next he needs to leave Britain for good P**s Off Piers – Piers Morgan withdraws from presenting an awards ceremony after an online campaign to oust him went viral; next he needs to leave Britain for good P**s Off Piers – Piers Morgan withdraws from presenting an awards ceremony after an online campaign to oust him went viral; next he needs to leave Britain for good

  • Quote of the Week – A Moron in the White House

    Quote of the Week – A Moron in the White House

    Donald Trump’s presidency was worryingly first predicted in July 1920

     

    In ten days time, on 20th January 2017, the world will watch in horror as a reality television “star” is sworn in as the 45th President of the United States of America.

     

    Bizarrely, this was predicted in July 1920 by H. L. Mencken, a journalist known as the ‘Sage of Baltimore’, in a column for the city’s Evening Sun newspaper. He wrote:

     

    The larger the mob, the harder the test. In small areas, before small electorates, a first-rate man occasionally fights his way through, carrying even the mob with him by force of his personality. But when the field is nationwide, and the fight must be waged chiefly at second and third hand, and the force of personality cannot so readily make itself felt, then all the odds are on the man who is, intrinsically, the most devious and mediocre – the man who can most easily adeptly disperse the notion that his mind is a virtual vacuum.

     

    The Presidency tends, year by year, to go to such men. As democracy is perfected, the office represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.

     

    Mencken plainly foresaw the Presidency of Donald Trump and he equally surmised how Twitter would play its part in his rise. America has ditched reason and its chosen deviousness and mediocrity. God help us all.

     

  • Jeffrey Slonim (1960 – 2016)

    Jeffrey Slonim (1960 – 2016)

    America’s answer to Nigel Dempster went to school with Julianne Moore and later attended Yale University. A preppy entertainment reporter, Jeffrey Slonim was considered to be “a walking Ralph Lauren ad” and a “throwback to a gentler time”. He wrote for amongst others Allure, Gotham, People and The New York Post. An all-round good guy and extremely well-connected, Slonim also worked with P.Diddy Marathon Diaries with Sean Combs and co-hosted parties with the likes of Hamish Bowles, Zac Posen, Sharon Stone and Blaine Trump. His life was tragically cut short in October 2016 in an accident.

     

  • The death of print journalism

    The death of print journalism

    ‘The Independent’s’ closure signals the beginning of a trend (more…)

  • Diane Sawyer (born Lila Diane Sawyer)

    Diane Sawyer (born Lila Diane Sawyer)

    Diane SawyerA former member of President Nixon’s White House staff turned acclaimed television journalist, Diane Sawyer was born in Glasgow, Kentucky. (more…)

  • Harry Cole

    Harry Cole

    Harry ColeA former associate of Guido Fawkes’ Paul Staines, Harry Cole became The Sun’s Westminster correspondent in June 2015. (more…)

  • Wally of the Week: Richard Littlejohn

    Wally of the Week: Richard Littlejohn

    Richard Littlejohn’s attack on the memory of the late Jean-Charles de Menezes is an utter disgrace (more…)

  • The class of Cleese

    The class of Cleese

    In taking on the repugnant journalist Piers Morgan on Twitter, funnyman John Cleese spoke for the nation
    (more…)

  • Serena Cowdy

    Serena Cowdy

    Serena CowdyFreelance journalist and commentator Serena Cowdy blogs as ‘Cowdy Calling’. (more…)

  • Wally of the Week: Keith Vaz

    Wally of the Week: Keith Vaz

    It is time that the Labour politician Keith Vaz asked himself some questions about his role in protecting the alleged paedophile Lord Janner (more…)